A Learned Lesson: 2022 January Crisis in Kazakhstan and 1989 Tian’anmen Crisis in China in biography of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Abstract

The article focuses on several historic parallels between two protest movements: in China in 1989 and in Kazakhstan in 2022. Both are linked to the figure of current president of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev who witnessed Tian’anmen Crisis in China during his work at Soviet Embassy in 1985-1991. Tokayev fixed many of mistakes by Chinese leadership in 1989 and in the result of Kazakhstan January Crisis resolution managed to consolidate all the power in the republic in his hands. Without archive materials an analysis of this event still cannot be fulfilled in a responsible manner but hypotheses of the article is that experience of witnessing Tian’anmen Crisis in 1989 helped Tokayev to be successful in resolution of January Crisis in Kazakhstan in 2022. Material for such conclusion was provided by analysis of Tokayev’s memoirs dedicated to his diplomatic career including the period of the work in Beijing.